Dan Orlovsky sparked a good amount of sports media scuttlebutt last month when he made a cryptic statement about his future, but the NFL analyst was back in his familiar digs on Monday, chopping it up on First Take.
And he hit the ground running, causing Stephen A. Smith to walk off set by mentioning that he flew coach to Hawaii and comparing Travis Hunter to both Randy Moss and Tyreek Hill.
A skilled multitasker, Orlovsky also replied to a social media user who asked about his "retirement."
Was never retiring. Just taking my time away
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) March 3, 2025
"Was never retiring," Orlovsky posted on X, formerly Twitter. "Just taking my time away."
A little over three weeks ago, Orlovsky raised eyebrows by signing off First Take with this:
"You guys know this is the end of the season for me, certainly for (Ryan Clark) as well. I'm taking a break. Won't be on TV for a long time. Just wanted to say thank you to you guys, Stephen A. (Smith), (Molly Qerim), Shannon (Sharpe) for a great season. I love being with you guys, I love y'all. Never know what the future holds but I'm taking a break and I'm sure RC is as well. Just wanted to say thank you. Appreciate you guys so much."
That long time ended up being less than a month. Orlovsky signed a three-year deal with ESPN in 2022 that reportedly expires before the next NFL season. His ascension up the depth chart, which includes well-received work on game broadcasts, would make him an attractive free agent if it came to that.
So even though he's back right now, that doesn't mean that the speculation has to end. It might just be delayed for a few months.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Orlovsky Returns to ESPN Airwaves After Cryptic Statement About Future.
